Over the Wall
by thedreadedlurgy
Summary: We never really grow up; we only learn how to act in public. Sasuke, Sakura, and eleven days of perfect freedom. "I know it's cheesy, but since I've met you? I fall asleep so easy." High School AU.


Sasuke disappeared halfway through our junior year. A lot of people think they know why. Hooked on drugs is a popular opinion. Gay is another. Neither are right. Then again, not everyone has been fortunate enough- or maybe I mean unfortunate enough- to have spent a week and a half in his company post-split. I have. I know the truth. I know why he couldn't stay, couldn't even say goodbye. And I swore to him I'd never tell a soul.

But that's a big thing to ask of someone. I didn't realize it at the time. Now I do. It's been months and I still have trouble falling asleep most nights, because I'm too busy staring up at my cracked ceiling, alternating between crying and remembering our time together. His laugh, loud and boisterous. The heat in his fingers when they touched me. The cloudiness in his eyes when I asked him about his family. The way it felt when I realized for the first time that I loved him, rather than the idea of him. Then, saying goodbye. The tears it caused us. Both his and mine, but mostly mine.

And sometimes the memories go beyond that, morphing into something that never was but maybe could have been, if we had known sooner, just how well we fit together. I know it's silly to think about- I'm only seventeen- but when I'm a sniveling mess and it's three in the morning and my thoughts just aren't slowing down, sometimes I let myself wonder if I'll ever be so lucky again.

I can't imagine that.

Let me tell you why.

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**OVER THE WALL  
**_thedreadedlurgy_

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chapter one: **gone**

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"Nobody knows where he went," Ino was saying excitedly, trailing me down the hallway as I hurried to first period. Unlike me, being late to class was of no concern to her. She took her sweet time. "According to Kiba-"

"Why would Kiba know?" I asked, rounding the corner and nearly falling flat on my ass. Then I had to wait for Ino to catch up. She came ambling after me a few moments later, her expression dreamy. She loved gossip.

"His sister is dating the older brother. Anyway, according to Kiba, the whole family 'cept him went out to dinner last night, and when everyone got back, his drawers were empty and the dad was missing a lot of cash. They couldn't file a Missing Persons report, though, they can't until tonight."

"Why?" I was only half listening, too busy scanning the wall, reading blue plaques engraved with white numbers. I was looking for room 204. I had just dropped pottery in favor of a study hall to try and balance out my demanding schedule, and this was the third day in a row I was struggling to make it on time. I had no idea where Ino was supposed to be. She obviously didn't care.

"Because you have to wait 24 hours," Ino said patiently. "I mean, his dad is Chief of Police, but even he couldn't do it. Apparently when family is involved you aren't allowed to be active on the case."

"That's horrible."

"Isn't it?" The delight in Ino's voice was palpable. I spared a moment to glare at her. She put her hands up in a Don't shoot kind of gesture. "Hey, hey! Don't give me that look. I'm not glad he's gone. You can bet I'll miss lookin' at him. It's just that this is really exciting, and I've been soooo bored lately-"

I interrupted her. "I'm sure the Uchihas are glad they could make your day more interesting with their awful family tragedy, Ino-pig."

She laughed, unaffected. "Bitch." I smirked. This was why Ino was my best friend- I could say anything to her and never have to utter the words I'm sorry. Around other people, I always had to watch myself.

I was about to make another witty comment, this time about her intelligence, when she suddenly stepped away from me. I watched with a confused look on my face as she turned toward the door on her immediate right and put her hand on the knob. She gave me a lopsided grin in return. "This is my class. You passed yours a few minutes ago. That way."

She pointed, and I swore, taking off at a sprint. I heard Ino's laugh as she stepped into her classroom, the bell sounding in our ears.

Tardy again.

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I ended up being seven minutes late. Kurenai gave me a stern look as I passed her desk, even though I smiled at her. I sighed as she made an audible check on her clipboard, no doubt making a note of my dawdling. I despised being late. If I was anything, it was punctual. I took pride in being the first one to a meeting or a class or church service. The only thing I didn't try and shoot for first with was parties, because Ino insisted it wasn't cool. I didn't really care. The only reason I was popular at all was because I was a member of the original nine; a small group of kids who started preschool together and now attended KHS in the same year. I don't understand why knowing certain people for most of my life has caused me to be so well liked, but I'm not complaining. It's better than the alternative.

Under Kurenai's watchful gaze, I sat in the only empty desk. Kiba Inuzuka was to the right of me, pretending to read a textbook, though I could see he was really looking at a Playpen magazine. He gave me a brief smile when I sat down but quickly resumed his activity. To my left sat Naruto Uzumaki, who wasn't even bothering to pretend- he had his magazine laid out on the desk in full view of anyone who thought to look over. On one hand he's an idiot, on the other hand, you have to admire his audacity. I nudged him with my elbow and nodded at the topless girl on the page when he looked at me.

"Those are fake," I informed him, and had to fight off a smile when his face hell. His lower lip jutted out in a pout. He looked like a baby. A giant, horny baby. I patted his shoulder consolingly as I dug my _Introduction to Philosophy_ textbook out of my backpack. We were all silent for the next half hour, me working, the boys oogling. Kurenai ran a strict study hall. Her method was to sit at her desk in the front of the room and scan the room for misbehaving teenagers until the bell rang, never saying anything. That's why, when she stood up and cleared her throat to get our attention, she immediately had it. We were all curious.

"This announcement is for upperclassmen only," she says, and pauses to make sure we understand. I don't, not really. We are all upperclassmen here. Maybe we aren't supposed to tell the underclassmen? Even though I'm confused I don't say anything. It's my motto that if you wait long enough, someone else will ask your stupid question for you.

Naruto to the rescue. "What the hell are you taking about sensei?" The class snickers at his boldness, or maybe it's just stupidity. Kurenai doesn't react. The year is half over, she is used to him by now.

"I'm sure some of you must have heard already," she sighs, and with that sad little exhale I know exactly what she's about to say next. I grab Kiba's arm and we share a look just as Kurenai opens her mouth and proves us right. "Sasuke Uchiha disappeared yesterday evening. His family is worried sick and has asked the school to encourage any students with information on his whereabouts to come forward. We are not sharing this information with the freshman and sophomores because we don't want to cause unnecessary disruption to the school."

Kurenai's last words are drowned out. All around me, my peers are turning to each other in shock. I can feel the surprise etched on my own face, despite the fact that I'd known before any of them. Well, except for Kiba. Somehow, hearing about Sasuke from Kurenai rather than Ino makes everything more real. Ino is crazy, unreliable, fun. Kurenai is my teacher. Delivered in her cool voice, the news is upsetting, even scary. For the first time all morning, I wonder:

Where is Sasuke?

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Despite Kurenai's warning, by lunchtime the entire school knows that one of our own is missing. As I'm walking to the cafeteria, I pass a pair of awkward-looking freshman talking about it by their lockers. I recognize them from watching Ino's cheerleading practices- they're on the JV team. And they're annoying as fuck.

I'm not an eavesdropper, but the thing about freshman is that they're loud... these two especially. Coming from the tiny middle school we all attended at one point or another, being thrust into the hustle and bustle of KHS makes them feel like they have to shout all the time, or they'll be forgotten. So it's not my fault I hear every word they're saying.

"But who is Sasuke?" The more awkward looking of the two, a tall girl with brown hair, is asking her friend as I approach them. Her voice bounces off the walls. I remember her name from somewhere. It's Ami. Her redheaded friend is Karin. I see with some smugness that Karin is wearing a brace. I wonder how she got hurt.

Karin reeks of melodrama. "Don't let anyone hear you say that, Ami," she whisper-shouts, casting furtive glances up and down the hallway even though it's obviously empty. This isn't the quickest way to the cafeteria, so no one bothers with it except for me. I don't like crowds.

"But why?" Ami is confused. So am I. But I get the feeling Karin is more than annoying. Perhaps she's a little crazy, too.

Karin's voice is a hiss. "Sasuke is the coolest, hottest boy at school. You're supposed to know these things." She looks at Ami as though she were a toad rather than a friend. Ami flushes and looks embarrassed.

"Sorry, K."

Karin takes a long, loud, shaky breath, even going so far as to lay the back of her hand against her forehead. It's like she's performing for an invisible camera. Does she think she's in Degrassi? I hate her.

"It's alright, A. I'm sorry for flipping out. It's just that I can't believe... Sasuke's gone..." She started weeping softly, and I just stopped walking and let myself stare. I noticed that although her shoulders shook and her face scrunched up, there were no tears. Ami either didn't realize or was too wrapped up in the drama they were creating between themselves. She threw her arms around Karin.

"K!"

"Oh, Jesus." I grinned at the sound of Ino's voice. She must have come this way to find me. I was glad she had. It made the Ami/Karin thing funny instead of irritating.

"The hell are you crying about now?" I knew from Ino's tone that this wasn't the first time she'd caught her JV subordinates in a sobfest. Her eyebrows are as white-blond as her hair, which makes it hard for her to look menacing, but I knew from years of friendship that she was currently giving them her worst look. It had its desired effect- Karin's tears magically dried up.

"Hi," Ino mimicked her childish voice. She could be a real ass sometimes. I loved it. "This is upperclassmen lunch- what are you doing out of class?"

Ami looked like she was going to pee herself. "We were getting something from our lockers."

"Then why don't you have anything with you?" Ino demanded. She was right- the girls' hands were empty. "It seems to me that you've been standing here, crying over nothing, besmirching the names of all your fellow squad members. What have I said about acting like Desperate Housewives wannabes?"

"Or Degrassi wannabes," I offered. Ino cracked a smile and turned to me.

"That's apt."

"I know, right?"

Karin made an _Ahem _sound. What a freak. We both turned to look at her, our eyes unfriendly. She pursed her lips in return.

"Just wanted to apologize again," she said, and Ami nodded. "We'll be going to class now." She gave Ami's sleeve a tug, and the two of them set off, presumably to class. I doubted it, though. I doubted them.

"God," Ino said with a huff when they turned the corner. "If their cartwheels weren't so damn nice, I'd have them off the team like _that_. I swear to it."

I nodded, but as we strolled off toward the cafeteria together, what I was actually thinking was: Who _can't _do a cartwheel, anyway? It was a strange thing to ponder, but at least, for the first time all day, I was thinking of something besides Sasuke.

I guess you could even go so far as to call it the last normal thing I remember.

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**Please review for next chapter. Xoxo**


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